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Monday, July 06, 2009

It's been a week and a half and I still can't quite believe this actually happened. Michael Jackson -the King of Pop- died on Thursday June 25 apparently of cardiac arrest. Despite a personal life plagued with controversy and dark allegations there is no denying the impact he had on the musical scene and on the world at large. From his beginnings with his family in the Jackson Five, to his meteoric rise to fame as a solo artist it was glaringly apparent that he had tremendous talent and a great gift. He had a long list of hit albums perhaps none more famous than Thriller accompanied by the equally famous music video for the titular song complete with dancing zombies, the gold standard by which all music video should be measured. And of course along with the music he presented, Jackson also set a new standard in dancing. One of his most famous dance moves -and arguably one of the most famous of all time- was, of course, the Moonwalk which was been immitated to varying degrees of success by professional dancers and drunen office co-workers the world over. He was also known for his obsurdly long yet epic music videos.

While I never considered myself a huge Michael Jackson fan, I enjoyed a lot of his songs and when I heard about his death it really bothered me. Perhaps it was because he was -despite the controveries- a true legend, and a pop-cultre icon forever cemented in the collective consciousness of the human race. He is one of (please forgive the pun) a dying breed. He stands up there with legends like Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger. It seems like the end of an era. I mean, who will our children and grandchildren have to mourn? Nobody of this calibre. The King is Dead. Long live the King.